An Expensive Education

from Hemmings Classic Car

Nineteen-year-old Charlie J. got the new shock absorbers that were going to make his 1955 Chevrolet sit on its haunches and help him get better traction at the drag races. He couldn't wait to install them--and he didn't. In the process, though he had jackstands, he just jacked up the front of his Chev with a bumper jack.
My pal Frankie found him later. The jack had popped out and the front crossmember had crushed Charlie's chest. It was the first fatality in my gang, and we all went to Charlie's funeral. That was a shocking lesson to us, and the guys I still know from that group won't ever get under a car without sturdy jackstands supporting it, along with chocks at the front wheels.
There are younger people out there today who would like to work on and restore their old cars. But the job seems overwhelming, and the skills required daunting. However, the reward is tremendous. My hands are scarred and banged up because I have been restoring and working on old cars for a lifetime, and along the way, I have made mistakes. After all that, it seems unacceptable for me not to help novices learn from my errors. So to save the newcomer restorer from the rigors of my expensive education, here are some hints that I think will save money and fingers:
You might ask: "How do you paint bolt heads using rattlecans without painting your hand, and without getting paint on the threads, where it will gum things up?" That's easy. Get some stiff paper, cut holes in it, and push the bolts through up to their heads. Shoot the bolt heads with paint and let them dry overnight to harden.
Incidentally, you can powdercoat your chassis and suspension parts if you want to, but it is very unlikely that would be original. Chances are, your car's chassis was painted with something called Chassis Black. And the closest thing to Chassis Black that you can buy off the shelf is good old Rust-Oleum. It's inexpensive, easy to use, and I have cars with chassis that were restored with it 20 years ago and they still look great. It holds up well, and it stops rust.
And speaking of rattlecan paints, they are also great for making gasket patterns. Just place the old seal on your new gasket material and give the whole thing a light fog with a rattlecan. Voila! You have a gasket pattern. It is like those leaf silhouettes you made for your mom in first grade by blowing poster paint through soda straws.
Another way to get a pattern is to place a piece of gasket material over the mating surface; hold it firmly in place so it won't move, then tap on the seal material with a ball peen hammer to impress an outline into the seal material. If you tap hard enough on a sturdy cast-iron casting, you can actually cut the gasket out with the hammer.
How is this for basic? Before you work on anything electrical, disconnect the battery by disconnecting the ground cable. You needn't loosen both cables. You don't do this to avoid being shocked, although it is possible to get burned if a metal tool you are holding shorts across two poles. No, you disconnect the battery to prevent shorts and voltage spikes that could ruin electrical components.
Another thing. If you are serious about auto restoration, learn to weld. And don't try to do it without supervision. Taking a night course at the local junior college is a good approach, but any good, experienced welder can teach you. There are some safety tips that are crucial, though.
Did you ever notice that welders wear their caps backwards so the visor is over their necks? This is not a fashion statement. Instead, the cap protects their necks from molten shards. They also don't arc weld with just goggles. That's because if you weld very long without covering your face, you'll get the sunburn from hell. I know. I've done it. Another welding tip is to make sure there is nothing flammable nearby before you lower your mask, and then remember to raise your mask periodically to have a look around. More than once, I have spotted something blazing away next to me as a result of a stray red-hot shard.
Finally, join the club for your marque. You will meet people who will be glad to help you, and their publications will provide you with important resources. Restoring classic cars takes hard, dirty work and a lot of follow-through, but it is one of the most rewarding hobbies there is. There is nothing like rolling onto that exhibit field with a fresh restoration.
And that's just the beginning. After that, you have years of driving enjoyment, touring with the club, or just going out for a Sunday drive. Take it a step at a time and don't give up. Just don't become impatient like Charlie.

This article originally appeared in the March, 2013 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.